Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Everything’s mini these days. The mini iPod. The MINI Cooper. The mini paycheck. (OK, that last one is just me, it seems.) But of all things mini, I have to say the best has got to be the mini cupcakes.

It’s odd because I’ve seen them before, but not in its wildly diverse form as displayed at DeLessio Bakery—that bold red-and-gold San Francisco bake shop that always makes me thing “Mad Hatter” when I walk by.

I used to live just a few yards from DeLessio Bakery on Market Street, in an area that I dubbed “lower Hayes Valley” for lack of a better label. DeLessio was a welcome addition to the 'hood, but I was never a big fan for the prepared food and I felt the baked goods were always a bit home-made.

That said, how cute are these?Last weekend, I was in my old neighborhood and went to DeLessio for a cup of afternoon tea. (Self-admission: I’m such a Londonphile.) And right at the counter was a tray of mini cupcakes.

Of course, my practical mind went into first gear. No, I didn’t think about the many flavors or tastes. I just thought: Wow, I don’t have to buy a whole cupcake and weigh myself down for the rest of the day. But then, another gear came into play and then I thought: Wow, I could try more than one flavor.

So I left with a plate of two mini cupcakes in hand and a cup of Earl Grey tea. I ended up going with the Brownie Cupcake with Fresh Mint (that’s the one on top in the picture) and the Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd.

The brownie was what you’d expect. Thick. Rich. Almost like chocolate batter. I found this hard to eat but it was saved by the touch of fresh mint cream. The Lemon Cake was more of a winner with its fresh ooze of lemony goodness inside. (I could have gone without the coconut flakes on top.)

The mini cupcakes cost $1.50 for each. Warning: You’d think they’re so small that you could pop one into your mouth and eat it in one bite. Yeah, you’d think that. (Cough, choke, cough. Ah-hem. Sorry, you were saying?)DeLessio Bakery, 1695 Market St. at Gough, (second newer location at 302 Broderick St.) San Francisco. Check its Web site for hours for each location.